Chapter 44
Matthew's POV:
Golden Moon Restaurant was buzzing with its usual evening crowd.
I'd arrived early for my meeting with Lucas.
Two waitresses passed behind me, their whispers perfectly audible to hearing.
"Look at her holding court," one muttered.
"Three months ago, Clara was serving drinks, and now she's accepting 'gifts' from half the business community."
"I heard she got a girl sent to enforcement this morning," the other replied. "Poor girl tried to confront her about Alpha Grayson, and Clara had her hauled away."
I observe the spectacle unfolding at the center table.
Clara, a pretty brunette, sat surrounded by a circle of admirers—mostly business wolves eager to gain favor with Alpha Lucas.
I watched as someone slipped an envelope across the table.
Clara's manicured fingers made it disappear into her designer purse without interrupting her animated story about "her Lucas."
This was the third "gift" I'd seen in the past ten minutes.
"Enjoying the show?" Lucas's cool voice came from behind me.
I didn't bother turning around. "Quite the enterprise she's running. Using your name as currency."
Lucas slid into the seat across from me, his expression impassive as he glanced briefly toward Clara's table.
He took a sip of his coffee, completely unconcerned. "Let her."
"You're really not going to do anything about this? " I pressed, genuinely surprised by his indifference.
Lucas shrugged slightly. "If I'm using her as a shield, she deserves some compensation. Everyone gets something they want."
"Well, if you don't care, I suppose it's not my business either." I leaned back, changing the subject. "I heard you took Tori to see Elena. How did that go? What's her condition?"
Something dark flashed across Lucas's face.
"Elena mentioned something about psychological trauma and physical abuse."
I straightened in my seat. " Whatever happened during those four years she was away from school must have been severe."
Lucas nodded solemnly.
"Have you considered looking into where she was during those years?" I asked carefully.
"The school records only show she withdrew, but not why or where she went. Medical history might help with her treatment plan."
He reached for his phone, his thumb hovering over Jack's contact. I could see the calculation in his eyes, the Alpha instinct to gather intelligence and eliminate threats.
For a moment, his expression shifted microscopically - the slight narrowing of his eyes, the barely perceptible tightening of his jaw.
Then, unexpectedly, he set the phone back down without making the call.
"No," he said with quiet finality. "I'll wait until she tells me herself."
I raised my eyebrows, genuinely surprised. "That's not like you at all."
"If I want her to trust me, I need to demonstrate that I respect her boundaries." Lucas's mouth tightened slightly. "Whatever happened to her... it's her story to tell. When she's ready.
I'd known Lucas since we were boys, but I'd rarely seen this level of consideration from him.
"She's changing you," I said softly.
He didn't deny it.
---
Hours later, I pulled into the circular driveway of the Howard family estate, expecting to find everyone already retired for the evening.
As I stepped through the front door, however, the atmosphere inside was anything but peaceful.
Muffled crying reached my ears before I even closed the door behind me.
Following the sound to our formal living room, I found Megan huddled on one of the plush sofas, her face streaked with mascara and tears.
Our mother Betty sat beside her, one arm wrapped protectively around Megan's shoulders.
"What happened?" I asked.
Megan looked up at my voice, and her crying immediately intensified. My mother shot me a disapproving look as she patted Megan's back.
From the corner, my father Arthur stepped forward, his expression grave beneath his salt-and-pepper hair.
"Your sister had a... confrontation today," he explained carefully. "With that waitress everyone's talking about—Clara."
I pinched the bridge of my nose, feeling a headache building. So that's who the waitresses had been gossiping about.
"Please tell me you didn't," I said to Megan.
"She couldn't find Alpha Lucas," my father continued, his tone making it clear he didn't approve of Megan's actions. "So she decided to confront Clara instead."
"The nerve of that woman," my mother interjected, her voice cold. "Having our daughter detained by enforcement!"
The Howard name carried significant weight in Moonhaven—we were connected to the Sullivan Pack through my mother, who was William Sullivan's sister.
Being detained by enforcement would indeed be a public embarrassment for Megan.
"We just brought her home," Arthur added quietly. "The enforcement officers were apologetic once they realized who she was, but the damage is done."
I sank into an armchair across from them, suddenly exhausted.
"What were you thinking?" I asked, unable to keep the exasperation from my voice.
"I just wanted to know if it was true," Megan defended weakly. "About her and Lucas. She's not good enough for him.
I groaned internally. My sister had been infatuated with Lucas Grayson for years, despite my warnings that he would never return her feelings.
"Megan," I said as gently as I could, "I tell you again—Lucas isn't for you. He never has been."
Her lower lip trembled. "You don't know that."
"Actually, I do." I kept my voice firm but kind. "I've known him since we were pups. Trust me on this. You need to let this go before you embarrass yourself further."
"Matthew!" My mother's voice cut through the room like ice. "How dare you speak to your sister that way!"
I turned to face Betty, whose perfectly coiffed hair and designer outfit seemed at odds with the fierce maternal protectiveness in her eyes.
"I'm trying to protect her," I explained. "Lucas will never—"
"Are you suggesting my daughter isn't good enough for Alpha Lucas?" Betty interrupted, her back stiffening. "That she's somehow inferior to that... that serving girl?"
"That's not what I meant," I said, fighting to keep my voice level.
I ran a hand through my hair in frustration.
How could I make them understand without revealing what I knew? I couldn't just blurt out that Lucas had found his fated mate in Tori.
Then I suddenly realized how much Lucas's thoughtful intentions had made a difference.
The old fox had played it perfectly.
While everyone obsessed over Clara and speculated about his love life, Tori could heal in peace, protected by the very rumors designed to obscure her importance.
I just hoped my mother didn't figure it out too soon. If Betty and Megan ever realized who Lucas was truly interested in, poor Tori wouldn't know what hit her.